Electrical water-heater.



M. H. SHOENBERG.

ELECTRICAL WATER HEATER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 29, 1911.

. Patented 001.1(),19111 ff-@293 er? 6 1 v l, ff. f. f//f//ff/ GurnegUniTED- STATES vPAlTEN'-I?. 1OFFICE.

` HILTON H. SH'OENBEBG, or sanrmncisco, oamromimg- -ELEcrnIcaLWATER-HEATER -To all wwm. it .may

Be it known that I, MILTON H; SEQEN- BERG, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing yat San Francisco, in the county'of- San Franci coand=State'-of California, have invented] new and-useful Improvements inElectrical Water-Heaters, of which the following is a specilication.; l

jMy invention'relates to certain neyv andl museful improvements influid-heaters, and

moreparticula'rly'to that class of apparatus wherein Wateris heatedthrough the medium1 of an electric current, and-may 'be rapidly' heated,almost.'ins tantaneou's ly. iiifact, to any desired degree as it flowsthroughga delivery-pipe tothe pointof discharge.. p In* apparatus 'ofthis character," there is danger' of overheating .or 'burning out theheater 4ele'-A ments-in. case the electric current. should. be switched'onto the 'apparatusfivhen the.

water is not; owin'g.

' Itis the purpose'of my invention to vpro-p. videmea'ns for' insuringva 'How of Water.-

-through the heater Whenever the' electric circuit is completed, 'andtoy prevent cutting' o# thewa'tensupply,Whilethe electric cur,- rentison,A a Another object" is to prevent any electrolysis between theparts'ofthe apparatus w or a difference ofl 'electrical potential be-i tweenthe 4exposed parts.

A further object is 'to construct lan ap paratus in which the fluidchannels and the heater element-s shall be readily -for inspect-'ion andrepair.'

I Other objects .Will be apparent from the 'Following description 'inconnection with the a'tcompanying drawings, in Which- Figure .1 isa-.verticalsection of 'an ap.'- 40 paratus embodying my invention; 2 isa front elevation ofthe s'ame'showingthe switch turned otfand the water'valve closed, the electrical connections being indicated in of theheating chamber,.showi a plurality of heater'elemen'ts; and Fig. 5 1s arear elevation of a modified'form of'a'pparatus with the cover plateremoved. l U

'Thev heater casing l, illustrated 1n F1gs. 1, 2,' and 3, may 'beconstructed of porcelain, metal, or other suitable material, Iand 1spro-v vided With a heating chamber 3 and 'a fd1s nected to the top `ofthe heating chamber l specificati@ oftewel-snuit.'

and conductedthrouvh the bodyor'wall accessiblev dotted linesgFig. 3' isa rear elevation With-` the cover plate removed and 'partly in 4sec.-v-tion; Fig. Ltis a fragmentary sectional view 'Patented oet. 10,1911.-

of the casing ,to'a disc arge opening .'near the bottom torwhich.y avfaucetforrspoutl 6 is fastened..` By. carrying the discharge chan- .nelthrough the ',Wallf ofthe i casing, vI" am enabled .tdeectively preventany electr'olysis bet-Weenthe. inlet' and outlet. of the heater. .Toavoid the-possibility of any. difjoint. When the Waterchamber is'exposed as shown in Fig. 3, t'hej' heatmgpcoil's .14'

'are entirely exposed and mavabe thoroughly inspected Withoutremovin'g'them fromtheir supportsin the chamber.` I 'have found' thatthese heating elementsor coils are'much vmore efficient when disposedlongitudinallyl of th'elow ofuivatertandare so placed j'fthat the .Watercurrents pass 'directlyy through 'the coi'ls. 'I accomplish thesepurposes by bending the coil aboutan 4insulatingknob. o r,bi1t

pass easily through the int'erior'o't-he coils.

more screivs 10, a gasket l2 4insuring; a'.tight ton 16, which y opensor spreads 'the' 'spirals' 'jatl the bend or bight,l permitting thewater to- The-end loops'of thefcoil's are placediover contact bars 18,19,V secured tobinding posts 20, to which 4the' switch contacts are.connect-- ed. The length-of 'the'heating coilsis` such thatfwh'enthey.are. m'ounted 'in position, -they' will -be held under a cert-ainamount of tension and-.Will thu's maintain godelec@ trical contact `withthe bars 184 and v19;l Byv threading a v plurality of' coils', inparallel upon the contact-bars, in' the-manner illus-A trated in Figjt,I can vincrease the heating capacity'of theapparatu's, and 'byc'ha'n ingthe number of the coils Irca'n .vary orfa 'just the capacityto suitdifferent 'conditions and regulate the degree" of heat.' The several ad.

vantages 'derived" from this 'manner of mounting'fthe''.lieater-elementsinto' U-shaped 'coils will no'w. be ppfztlent. In addition to chargechannel 5,v which' is preferably. cong' the 'special vadvantages abovementioned, 4I

charge channel l am enabled to secure a very compact. de

vice, the two ends or .arms of the coil being closely associated in thesame chamber, reducing the exterior surface of the casing to a minimumand concentrating thev waterheating surfaces.

the heating chamber, thus-reducing the radiation losses botlrfrom thechamber and in common use may be' attached to4 my y with' recesses .fromthe channel. The .arrangement is so simple that anyone can'introduce orreplace the coils, the act of bending the loop around the button' 16serving to automatically lspread .the convolutions of spirals 4at thebight adjacent to the water. inlet, so that the services of a skilledmechanic are unneces# sary.

Upon the front of the casing is mounted a snap-'switch having a base 25,provided to receive the binding posts 2() or connecting devicesattached. to the contact bars 18 and 19. n outer removable shell 27protects the setsof contacts 28, connected with the heater coils, theleads 30 4fioiii'the supply wires. The

rotary stem 82 carries-pairs o-f switch blades,

'which are brought into engagement withV said sets of contacts'in oneposition and are disengaged therefrom in another position.

An ordinary snap-switch such as is now heater, the-proper electricalconnections being made with the contact bars which sup- For the purposeof guarding against the possibility of burning out the heater-coils byturning on the current when the water is shut voff from thewater-chamber, I provide an auxiliary guard or safety lock-plate 35,having a central port the heater-coils.

opening which may be placed over the stem ofany ordinary snap-switch andsecured in position by means of a clamping bar 37 screwed or otherwisefastened to the stem.

The .periphery ofthe guardI or lock-plate,l

projects into the path of the water-valve 1 handle', so that it willnormallybe prefventedfrom moving .to the closed position by striking theedge of the plate as indicated in dotted lines in Fig.

the switch is in the off position withtlie 'electric current .cutoff,vin which position which shall flow through th y ber when theelectric. current'ig-0h.

erifchamand also and 29, connected with .and cooperating contact memberscarried by 1, and can only be. turnedto fully shut off the water valvewhen riphery7 a handle adapted to enter one ing device upon said handleadapted to to adjust the, exact position ofthe handle when it is forcedback within the recess, I. attach a regulating screw or otheradjustable' device L10, to the handle.- Afterl the proper -adjustmenthas been made,the lparts maybe locked in position by means of alock-niitfll.4

Before the switch can'be turned to'close the electric circuit, it isfirst necessary to pull the lever handle 38 until vit is disengaged fromthe notch 39 in which it lies when the cock is. closed, and assoon as itis pulled down far enough to allow the dis'lr on the switch stem to beturned, the cock will; open sufficiently to permit a flow of waterthrough the heating chamber and the heating element orcoil will .besubmerged and protected from injury. The heating coil may be made. ofbare wire, or it may be a wire thinly coated. with a substance whichwillv not be suiicient to interfere with itsheat conductivity. Ifit isdesired to draw cold water only, the lever may bepulled down to open thecock without closing the switch, and when it is desired to draw hotwater, the switch is. turned to the closed or on position as previouslydescribed. I am aware that changes may be made in the structure of theapparatus which has been shown herein' for the purpose of illustratingan embodiment of my invention, such as .will occur to those skilled in'this art, and I-desire to cover the same in the appended.

claims.

I therefore claim as my invention;- p

l. An electric fluid heater comprising a casing having a heating chamber'provided with inlet and *outlet passages, supporting bars in 'one endof said chamber and an insulating studatthe otlierend, a heater elenienthaving its ends secured respectively to said bars and its 'intermediateportion bent around saidstud, an electric switch having contactsconnected with said bars a rotary stem, a 'guard or locking-platecarried by said stem having notches in its periphery, and a valve insaid inlet passage having a handle ladapted. to enter one of saidnotches when in the closed position. v

2. An electricfluid heater comprising casing having-a heating chamberprovided.

v with inlet and outlet passages, supporting bars in one end of saidchamber and an insulating stud at the other end, a heater elea... in

ment having its ends secured respectively to.' said bars and itsintermediate portion bent around. said stud, an electric. switch having'contacts connected with `said bars and coperating contact memberscarried by a guard or locking plate carried by said stem having notchesin its pea valve in said inlet passage having of said notches Siiregulate. the approach' thereof with respect to the periphery of saidplate. i

3. An electric heater comprising a casing having a heating chamberprovided with inlet and outlet openings, electric heating coils in saidchamber, a metal supply cock connected with said inlet, a metaldischarge pipe with said outlet, and a short-c'ircuiting plate fixed tothe casing and connecting said metal parts. y

4. An electric water heater comprising a casing having a heating chamberprovidedy casing provided with a'recess forming av heating chamberhaving a side cover plate which may be removed to give ready access to'.the entire chamber, contact bars located near one end of said chamberand an 1n- 'sulating support near theopposite end thereof, and U-sha-pedspiral heating coils Withinsaid chamber and having their ends detachablyconnected to said Contact bars and their intermediate portions supportedupon said insulating support. 6. An electric Water heater comprismg acasing provided With a recess forming a.

heating chamber having a side cover plate which may be removed to giveready access to the entire chamber, conducting contact hars projectingWithin one. end of said chamber and an insulatingsupport projectingwithin the opposite end thereof, and U-shaped spiral heating coils Withmsaid. chamber and having their ends detachably connected vto saidcontact bars andtheir intermediate portions supported upon saidinsulating support.

7. An electric water heater comprisinof a casing having a heatingchamber provided wit'lrnlet and discharge passages, said discharge'passage being connected with one end of said chamber and passingthrough the bodyof the casing parallel With'and adjacent to the chamberthroughout its length,

and havingan loutlet opposite theinlet end thereof, electric heatingcoils supported within. said chamber, and switch contacts connected withthe terminals of said'coils.

8. n elect-ric water heater comprising a casing having a heating chamberprovided with inlet and dlscharge openings, heatmg coils supportedWithin said chamber, av

rotary switch having contacts connected with the termina-ls of saidcoils, a disk detachably connected to said switchandrot-atable therewithandhaving recesses upon its periphery, a water valve connected with saidinlet, and a. controlling lever for said valve adapted to swing intooneof said notches to lock the switch when the Water supply is" cut off; l

9. An electric Water heater comprising a casing having a -heatingchamberprovided with inlet andv discharge openings, .heating coils supportedwit-hin said chamber, a rotary switch having contacts connected with theterminals 'of said coils, a disk detachably 'connected to said switchand rotatable therewith vand having recesses upon its periphery, a Watervalve connected With said inlet a controlling lever for said "valveadapted to swing into one of said -notches to Alock the-switch when the-Water supply is cutoff, and Van adjust-able gage on said lever toengagev said disk and regulate the minimum flow of Waterv WhenI thelelectricr vswitch is inthe closedor on posit-ion.

' In testimony whereof I havel hereunto set my hand in presence oftWosubscribing Witnesses.

MILToN H. sHoENBERG'. Witnesses-,z

CHAS. F. DUISENBERG, FEN'roN P'. FOSTER.

